Arugula and Scape Pesto

Guest post by Laura of Cubit's Organic Living


{Jeannette from Everybody Likes Sandwiches is away this week, so in her place we're happy to offer a delicious recipe from one of our participants at Poppytalk Handmade this month, Laura of Cubit's Organic Living}

Hi there, it's Laura from Cubit's Organic Living and I'm so happy to have this opportunity to share one of my favourite spring recipes with Poppytalk's community.

Pesto is one of spring and summer standbys and although I normally grow enough basil to make our basil pesto once a week, what are you to do in the spring when things are starting to grow but the basil isn't quite in pesto quantities yet?

My good friend Shana inspired me to use my eavesthrough arugula for something besides salads. Arugula grows happily is shallow containers so we grow a ton of it, replanting over the season to ensure a plentiful supply.




Inspired by her arugula pesto recipe posted over on folks gotta eat, along with what is in season in my garden and at the farmers market, this combination of our favourite pesto recipe with Shana's and made this amazingly peppery pesto that stays perfectly green even after a few days in the fridge.

Here I am with the clingy toddler picking garlic and arugula for dinner.


4 cups of washed arugula
4 young garlic shoots and scapes
4 cloves of garlic
1 cup of pine nuts
½ cup parmesan cheese (vegans, please feel free to leave this out)
½ cup of olive oil
1/8 teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon of salt

Whizz it all up in the food processor or blender. I do the nuts and cheese first followed by greens and oil and then the salt and pepper. This seems to blend easily. This time of year you can also throw in some chives and garlic chives since they're growing happily in the garden and are perfect right now.


Like arugula, this is pesto is perfect on a tomato sandwich. We served this batch up on some ravioli with fiddleheads, which are just coming into season and some fabulous Organic Asparagus.




Deliciously green! What's your favourite variation on pesto? 
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Cubits Organics is a vendor at Poppytalk Handmade this month.  Visit them there or online at their Etsy shop and at cubitsorganics.com if you need some arugula seeds for your own garden or more seasonal recipes and gardening ideas.

Jan Halvarson

3 comments:

Unknown said...

excellent greens! love the photo with the baby too. ive been following cubits on etsy for a while. holding my organic seed orders until weve moved ;)

redtilestudio said...

Yum! I never thought of arugula pesto, but it sounds delicious and easy to make.

Anonymous said...

Delicious!!! How to store? How long can you keep it in the fridge?